The Spanish language film, When Evil Lurks, from Argentina, has found its way into my favourite horror films along with Late Night with the Devil. It’s creepy, has some legitimate scares, and a real sense of menace.

Two brothers, Pedro (Ezequiel Rodriguez) and Jimi (Demian Salomon), find themselves confronting true evil when they encounter a demon-infested man that they attempt to get rid of, to save their home and village, but things go sideways very quickly, and evil seems to be spreading and closing in around them.

There are some solid scares worked into the film, and some incredibly well-made sequences, the goat, the axe, the dog, moving the body, and the practical effects throughout are masterfully done. It’s a terrifying film that made me exclaim a number of times, and I was truly delighted with how much I enjoyed this one.

The story doesn’t pull its punches and puts some truly horrific imagery on the screen as the demon spreads its power, no one and nothing is safe. As Pedro and Jimi race to escape the expanding scope of evil, Pedro attempts to save his children, and his ex-wife, while Jimi suggests they seek out the aid and knowledge of a woman he knows, Mirtha (Silvina Sabater).

She provides a lot of information, but not all of it is helpful, and not all of it will save them. It may, in fact, be too late, as the demon seems to be going through birthing pangs, and things are going to escalate to truly terrifying proportions.

It’s a fast-moving and incredibly smart film. It has already found its way into my re-watch list, I think it’s going to be re-visited on a regular basis, as I think there’s going to be a lot to suss out from it. There are rules, and a whole mythology at work throughout the tale, rottens are possessed people and the one at the center of the story is truly unnerving, and troubling when its time to move it.

There are some great sequences and some very surprising scares that are played perfectly. In fact, some of them happen so quick you ask yourself if you really saw what you think you just saw, more than once I exclaimed aloud when they happened, completely shocked and wowed that such a thing happened onscreen.

This is a must for horror fans, it’s smart, scary, has great effects, and is a tense and thrilling watch. I loved this one, and regret not seeing it when it screened at TIFF. But you can watch it now on the Shudder streaming service. Check it out, you won’t regret it, and follow the rules before it’s too late.

I loved this one!